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Homemade Chorizo with Pinto Beans

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 pound boneless pork loin or sirloin, or shoulder if you can find that small a piece
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • Pinch of ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 3/4 cups cooked or canned pinto beans (one 15-ounce can)
  • 1 lime

1 small bunch fresh cilantro

Instructions

  1. Peel 2 cloves garlic. Pulse in the food processor until minced.
    Cut the pork into 2-inch chunks.
  2. Add the pork to the food processor along with 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4  teaspoon cayenne, a pinch each of ground cinnamon and ground cloves, 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Pulse until the pork is coarsely ground but not puréed.
  3. Put 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Trim, peel, and chop the onion.
  5. When the oil is hot, add the chorizo mixture and the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chorizo is cooked through and crisp in places, 5 to 10 minutes.
  6. If you’re using canned beans, rinse and drain them.
    Cut the lime into wedges; chop 1/2 cup cilantro tender stems and leaves.
  7. Stir in the beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until they heat through. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast

Recipe variations

Homemade Chorizo with Chickpeas The flavor of cured Spanish chorizo, made  fresh: Substitute 1 tablespoon smoked paprika for the chili powder, cayenne, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves. Use sherry vinegar instead of cider vinegar and olive oil in place of vegetable oil. Substitute chickpeas for the pinto beans, lemon for the lime, and fresh parsley for the cilantro.

Homemade Italian Sausage with Cannellini Beans Replace the ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves with 1 tablespoon fennel seeds and 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes. Substitute red wine vinegar for the cider vinegar and olive oil for the vegetable oil. Replace the pinto beans with cannellini beans, the lime with lemon, and the cilantro with fresh basil.

Homemade Tempeh Chorizo or Sausage A vegan option that works with the main recipe and either of the previous variations. Substitute 1 pound tempeh for the pork.